There's nothing like waking up one day and realizing that you really are at home in a place that only months before seemed to foreign.

Based on your own experience, what are some of the benefits of spending a semester off-campus? How has studying abroad contributed to your personal, academic, and/or professional development?

I don’t want to sound cliché but studying abroad opened my eyes to the world. Before I left I didn’t really even know much about London, living in a city or Europe in general. But going there and being in the middle of a world of culture, history, and the hustle and bustle of regular city life really changed the way that I live. It gave me experiences that I’ll never forget, new skills that I never would have learned and a deep appreciation for fish and chips.

What advice can you offer for Skidmore students who are considering or planning to study abroad?:

Just do it. It may seem scary or maybe you think it just isn’t your cup of tea but I guarantee that you will benefit from it. You get such deepened perspective on the world from living in such a foreign place and learning to make that place your home. There just isn’t anything else like it. You aren’t only learning from books and professors, you’re learning from experience.